Welcome to the official blog of Block Real Estate Services, LLC (BRES). BRES seeks to offer insight and news concerning commercial real estate, financial investments, construction and development of the 212 communities we serve locally and nationally.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

The Importance of Giving Back to Your Community: BRES in the Community

Supporting a charity or non-profit is a great way to give back to those who have supported and helped sustain your business's success. Giving back to your community has many intangible benefits such as the feeling of connectives, community pride and satisfaction of helping others. There are also tangible benefits to giving back to the community. For example, giving back can raise your business profile and bring in more customers or clients.

Relationship building: through our community involvement we’ve developed quality relationships that have helped us in other ways.

Recruitment: people look to work for companies that care.

Giving back makes jobs more engaging and engaged employees are more productive employees.

BRES employees pride themselves in giving back to the community:

Jennifer Edwards

Jennifer Edwards Shown on Far Right

Jennifer is involved with Kit's Muse. Kit’s Muse and Project Sweet Peas are dedicated to providing comfort to families with children in intensive care units and to those who have experienced pregnancy and infant loss. Kit's Muse is a non-profit organization that donates memory boxes and care packages to hospitals and children in need.

Scott Hamblen

Scott Revs up the Chainsaw to do Good for Charity

In October 2011, Scott Hamblen started a Lions Club back in his hometown of Dover, Missouri. Hamblen is currently the President of his club and is focusing his efforts on community betterment projects. The Lions Club cleaned up the local cemetery and plans to repair many of the old stones from the civil war era and the early 1900’s. They will also be donating time and money for new playground equipment in the city's park and renovations for the community building.

Lou SerroneLou previously served eight years on the Lenexa City Council and this fall will finish his 11th year as a Lenexa City Councilman. For the next six months, Lou Serrone will be the City Council President of Lenexa, Kansas. Every six months, the Mayor designates one of his council members to be council president. As the City Council President, Serrone will also act as interim mayor if the Mayor is absent.Brian Beggs

Brian Beggs (Grey shirt) with dog Romeo

Brian is involved with Pilots N Paws, an organization that works with pilots and plane owners to assist with the transportation of animals to new homes across the country. They also form a networking community, where those involved can come together in a common place and arrange or schedule rescue flights, overnight foster care or shelter.

Paige Salveter
Paige Salveter volunteers with the KC Explorers professional tennis team. The Explorers Experience is world-class tennis in a social, high-energy atmosphere. Different from any tennis you’ve watched, imagine the best tennis players in the world, throw in some music between points and very enthusiastic fans.

Vicki Kelley

Vicki Kelley (second on left)

Vicki Kelley is involved in her stiletto design foundation known as Hot Stilettos. Hot Stiletto is a FREE social club for women who love shoes! Our mission is to build a strong sisterhood of women through our love for shoes, while striving to inspire, support, uplift, and encourage one stiletto step at a time! Not only do we support our love for shoes, but we also provide opportunities for philanthropic growth as some of the proceeds of our events are donated to charity. Hot Stiletto has a charity volunteer division called “Heels Can Heal!” This group of women has a special place in their hearts to support breaking the cycle of domestic violence against women. The way we see it, it doesn't matter if you have or have not personally experienced domestic violence, we as women still have an obligation to help each other when we can, and after all we are our sister’s keeper! Newhouse Domestic Violence Shelter is this year’s benefactor in an upcoming event in August.

Aaron Mesmer and Kim Harbian
Aaron and Kim are Young Friends of RBI and put on events together throughout the season to

Aaron and Kim at RBI Event

help raise funds to support RBI (Reviving Baseball in the Inner City). RBI, a branch of the Boys and Girls Club, strives to maintain inner city fields and leagues to allow children to play baseball and learn important life lessons. The biggest event of the year is the Base Ball July 5 at the MLB® All-Star FanFest®! Click here for more information. Be on the lookout for their annual kickball tournament!

Ron Fredericks
Ron Fredericks, the Director of Block Maintenance Solutions, donates time on talk radio Saturday mornings between 11am-1pm on station News Talk 98.1 FM to share information about and take questions from callers on Energy Savings Cost Ideas (commercial/residential).

Block Real Estate Services, LLC (BRES) is a full-service commercial real estate company managing over 33 million square feet of retail, office, and industrial properties for equity partnerships and third party owners. BRES’s portfolio of services continues its role as the most comprehensive commercial real estate firm in Kansas City by providing and specializing in: real estate brokerage services, tenant representation, investment services, asset and property management, economic incentives consultation, financial services, construction and development services, and the Block Funds.